Apparatus for draining a conduit

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for draining a conduit such as the colon of an animal while preventing the spread of contamination from the conduit. The apparatus comprises two tubes. The first tube, which is open at both ends, is designed to be slipped onto the tied and cut portion of, for example, a colon and secured to it with the tied and cut end of the colon protruding from the tube. The second tube has an open end that is designed to be secured to the first tube around the protruding portion of the colon. In the second tube, there is a drain and means for cutting open the tied and cut portion of the colon. Before the colon is opened, a seal must be provided between the colon and the tubes to prevent the spread of contamination from the opened colon. To this end, an annular chamber is provided in the region where the two tubes are connected. When suction is applied to this chamber, the sidewalls of the colon are drawn into the chamber so that they may be tightly secured between the end of the first tube and the opposing end of the second tube.

United States Patent 1191 Kaplan et al.

1 Sept. 30, 1975 1 APPARATUS FOR DRAINING A CONDUIT [76] Inventors: Isaac Kaplan, c/o Etz Lavud Limited, Shchunat Harakcvet, Petah Tikva, Iceland; Uzi Sharon, c/o Panengineering Ltd., Ramat-Aviv University, RamatAviv,, Israel, P.O.B. 17057 [22] Filed: Jan.2, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 430,057

[561 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.614.563 10/1952 Devine, Jr 128/276 3,051,176 8/1962 Alberti 128/276 3,433,227 3/1969 Kcttenbach... 128/350 R 3,561,448 2/1971 Peternel 128/334 C Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant E.\'uminer-Rick Opitz Attorney, Agent, or FirmPennic & Edmonds [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for draining a conduit such as the colon of an animal while preventing the spread of contamination from the conduit. The apparatus comprises two tubes. The first tube, which is open at both ends, is designed to be slipped onto the tied and cut portion of, for example, a colon and secured to it with the tied and cut end of the colon protruding from the tube. The second tube has an open end that is designed to be secured to the first tube around the protruding portion of the colon. In the second tube, there is a drain and means for Cutting open the tied and cut portion of the colon. Before the colon is opened, a seal must be provided between the colon and the tubes to prevent the spread of contamination from the opened colon. To this end, an annular chamber is provided in the region where the two tubes are connected. When suction is applied to this chamber, the sidewalls of the colon are drawn into the chamber so that they may be tightly secured between the end of the first tube and the opposing end of the second tube.

16 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR DRAINING A CONDUIT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Surgical procedures for the removal of a blockage in the colon require that the colon be tied and cut in front of the blockage (i.e., upstream of the blockage) and then washed out or drained. The portion of the colon containing the blockage is treated to remove the blockage and is then rejoined to the portion of the colon that has been drained. In many instances, it is quite difficult to properly drain the colon without contaminating adjacent tissue and organs because typical procedures require that the tied end of the colon be lifted out of the patients body and drained into a bucket. In many instances, compromises must be made in performing this colonic lavage with a resulting increase in the risk of contamination of the peritoneal cavity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION We have devised apparatus that permits the convenient drainage of a conduit such as the colon while minimizing the risk of contamination. The apparatus comprises two tubes or sleeves. The first tube, which is open at both ends, is designed to be slipped onto the tied and cut portion of, for example, a colon and secured to it so that the tied and cut end of the colon protrudes from the tube. The second tube has an open end that can be secured to the first tube around the protruding portion of the colon. In the second tube, there is a drain and means for cutting open the tied and cut portion of the colon. Before the colon is opened, a seal must be provided between the colon and the tubes to prevent the spread of contamination from the opened colon. To this end, an annular chamber is provided in the region where the two tubes are connected. When suction is applied to this chamber, the sidewalls of the colon are drawn into the chamber so that they may be tightly secured between the end of the first tube and the opposing end of the second tube.

As will be obvious, the use of our apparatusis not limited to colonic surgery. In surgery, the apparatus could also be used, for example, in draining a gall bladder. In other fields, the apparatus could be used for draining the contents of flexible hoses and the like. For convenience, the apparatus will be described below in its application as a colonic lavage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING These and other objects, features, and elements of our invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an illustrative embodiment of our invention; and

FIGS. 2A2D are schematic representations of illustrative steps in the practice of our invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The illustrative embodiment of our invention shown in FIG. 1 comprises first and second tubes 10, 40. Preferably, these tubes are made of a transparent plastic and are sized so that their inner diameters are approxi mately the same and a little bit larger than a colon 60 to be placed in them. First tube is open at both ends and has an inner wall 11 and an outer wall 12. Spacers 13, 14 define a first annular chamber 21 and a second annular chamber 22 between these walls; and ports 23, 24 permit suction to be applied to chambers 21, 22, re-

spectively. In chamber 21, an array of holes 37 in inner wall 1 1 connects that chamber to the inside of the tube. Accordingly, when tube 10 is slid onto colon 60 and suction is applied at port 23, portions of the sidewall of the colon are drawn into holes 37 and the colon is thereby secured to tube 10. In chamber 22, outer wall 12 protrudes beyond end 31 of inner wall 11. Threads 34 are provided on the outside of wall 12 to secure tube 10 to tube 40.

Second tube 40 comprises a wall 41 and a cap 42 over one end of the tube. A drain 45 and an inlet port 47 are located in wall 41 and a second inlet port 49 is located in cap 42. On open end 51 of wall 41, there is an annular rubber washer 52. Also, near open end 51 is a flange on which rides a cap 53. Threads 54 in cap 53 are adapted to engage threads 34 of tube 10 and thereby hold tubes 10 and 40 together.

The use of the device shown in FIG. 1 may best be understood from the schematic illustrations of FIG. 2. To remove a blockage in the colon, the surgeon first ties the colon in front of the blockage and then cuts it in two. The portion of the colon containing the blockage may be treated by standard surgical procedures to remove the blockage and will not be discussed further. The other tied and cut portion of colon is inserted into a sterile tube 10 as shown in the first sketch of FIG. 2A so that a portion of the colon protrudes beyond edge 31. Suction is then applied to port 23 to draw the sidewalls of the colon partway into holes 37. This secures colon 60 in tube 10.

Next, suction is applied to port 24. The portion of wall 12 that protrudes beyond end 31 of wall 11 aids in applying this suction to colon 60. The 'force of this suction is sufficient to draw the sidewalls of the colon outward over end 31 of wall 11 and partly into chamber 22 as shown in FIG. 2B. Inasmuch as the outwardly drawn portions of the sidewalls are used to form a seal between the colon and the portion of the tubes into which the colon is opened, it is necessary that the sidewall be drawn over end 31 of wall 11 throughout the annulus of this end. In practice, we have observed that this generally happens when suction is applied and, if it does not, any defects can be remedied by judiciously pushing the colon over end 31.

Open end 51 of tube 40 is next placed on the portion of colon 60 that has been drawn over end 31. Tube 40 is then pressed down on the colon and cap 53 is twisted enough that threads 54 engage threads 34 and firmly clamp a double thickness of the sidewall of colon 60 between rubber washer 52 of tube 40 and end 31 of wall 11 of tube 10. When this is done, we have found that the colon is tightly sealed to rubber washer 52 and therefore to the tubes. At this point, the suction applied to ports 23 and 24 may be terminated. A scalpel 71 may then be introduced through port 49 and used to cut the end portion of the colon with a rotary motion as shown in FIG. 2C. During this procedure, any portion of port 49 that is not filled by scalpel 71 should be closed to prevent the release of contaminants through port 49. Similarly, when port 47 is not being used, it should be blocked to prevent release of contaminants. Because the sidewalls of the colon are sealed to the tubes, the interior of the colon and the interior of second tube 40 are sealed together and contaminants from the opened colon cannot seep down first tube 10 and out the open end adjacent spacer 13.

When the colon is cut, its contents may be drained through drain 45 and connecting hoses to a receptacle. If necessary, a hose may be passed through drain 45 into the colon to wash'its interior. At the same time, or subsequently, a fluid may beintrocluced through inlet port 47 to facilitate drainage by producing suction. Practice of these procedures is aided by the fact that thesidewallsof colon 60 are held apart by the clamping action of washer 52 on annular end 31 of wall 11.

-Once the colon is drained, other surgical devices such as'an'endoscope may be inserted through port 49 to view its interior. Finally,- the colon maybe cut at the forward end of tube adjacent spacer 13 and reconnected to the remainder of the colon by standardsurgical' procedures.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art; numerous alternatives willsuggest themselves for various features of our device-For example, other means thansuction applied through annular chamber 21 may be used to hold the colon. Similarly, other means than suction applied through annular chamber 22 may be used to movethe'sidewalls-of the colon outwardly so that they may be clamped and sealed between'projecting surfaces *of the two tubes. For example, it is possible to push the sidewalls ofthe colon outwardly by hand. Where s'uction'is used, chamber 22 can be formed in any number of ways-as long as means are provided for drawing the sidewalls of the colon outwardly. As an alternative to using a scalpel to open the colon into the second tube as shown in FlG.'2C, it is also possible to use a focused laser beam or other electro-magnetic radiation to vaporize a slit'in the colon. The laser beam is simply directed through a transparent portion of tube 40 such as a transparent cap and brought to a focus on the surface of the colon. The extremely small area to which the laser beam may be focused permits the formation ofan intense concentration of energy that vaporizes the wall of the colon.

As also will be evident, ourinvention may be used for numerous applications other than a colonic lavage. In surgery, it may be used for draining a gall bladder. In other areas, it may be used for draining contaminants from a flexible hose or the like. It is only necessary that the conduit that is to be drained be of such a nature that it'can be closed off and cut so that the first tube may be slipped onto the tied and cut-portion of the conduit and that the walls of'the conduit be flexible enough that'they can be drawn outwardly over an end of the first tube so that they may be sealed between this end and the end of a second tube. Depending on the contents of the conduit that is to be drained, it may be desirable to use other materials than a transparent plastic for the construction of tubes 10 and 40.

Numerous-other modifications to our invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus comprising:

a first tube open at first and second ends;

means for holding within said first tube an object hav ing a closed end that is introduced into said tube from said first end;

a second tube open at a first end means in a second end' of said second tube closing off said second end;

means for securing the first and second tubes together so that the first end of the second tube faces the-second end of the first tube with a gap therebetween; means for drawing the sides of the object held in the first tube outwardly of said tube so that. when the first and second tubes are secured together the sides of the object may be held between the first end of the second tube and the second end of the first tube to form a seal; means in said second tube forintroducing into the region inside said tube means for opening theobject;

and

a drain in the second tube 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drawing means comprises: r

: means for defining an annular chamber surrounding 'the second end of the first tube; and means for applying suction to the annular chamber to draw the sides of the object held in the first tube into said chamber. r 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means in said second tube for introducing opening means therein comprises a transparent surface through which electromagnetic radiation may be directed.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein themeans for holding an object within said first tube comprises means for applying suction to the inside of the first tube. I

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for holding an object within said first tube comprises:

I an annular chamber surrounding the first tube and displaced from its second end; means connecting said chamber to the interior of said first tube; and V v means for applying suction to said annular chamber to hold the object in the first tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a port in said second tube. v

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising 'a resilient body mounted on the first end of the second tube for engaging the outwardly drawn sides of the object.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means in said second tube for introducing opening means therein comprises means-for opening said second tube and inserting a surgical instrument into it. 1

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for securing the first and second tubes together comprises annular elements mounted on said first and second tubes and bearing complimentary screw threads permitting said elements'to be'screwed together, said annular elements forming an enclosed chamber about the first end of the second tube and the second end of the first tube when said threads are screwed together.

10. Surgical apparatus comprising:

a first tube open at first and second ends;

means for holding within said first tube a tied andcut portion of a colon introduced into said tube from said first end; 7 I

a second tube open at a first end;

means in a second end of said second tube closing off said second end;

means for securing the first and second tubes to sides of the colon may be held between the first end of the second tube and the second end of the first tube to form a seal;

means in said second tube for introducing into the region inside said tube means for opening the object; and

a drain in the second tube.

11. The apparatus of claim wherein said drawing means comprises:

means for defining an annular chamber surrounding the second end of the first tube; and

means for applying suction to the annular chamber to draw the sides of the colon held in the first tube into said chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the means in said second tube for introducing opening means therein comprises means for opening said second tube and inserting a surgical instrument into it.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said means for securing the first and second tubes together comprises annular elements mounted on said first and second tubes and bearing complimentary screw threads permitting said elements to be screwed together, said annular elements forming an enclosed chamber about the first end of the second tube and the second end of the first tube when said threads are screwed together.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the means in said second tube for introducing opening means therein comprises a transparent surface through which electromagnetic radiation may be directed.

15. Apparatus for draining an object having a closed end comprising:

a first tube open at first and second ends; means for holding within said first tube said object having a closed end that is introduced into said tube from said first end; a second tube open at a first end; means in a second end of said second tube closing off said second end; i means for securing the first and second tubes to gether so that the first end of the second tube faces the second end of the first tube with a gap therebetween in which the sides of the object may be held to form a seal;

means in said second tube for introducing into the region inside said tube means for opening the object; and

a drain in the second tube.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for securing the first and second tubes together comprises annular elements mounted on said first and second tubes and bearing complimentary screw threads permitting said elements to be screwed together, said annular elements forming an enclosed chamber about the first end of the second tube and the second end of the first tube when said threads are screwed together. 

1. Apparatus comprising: a first tube open at first and second ends; means for holding within said first tube an object having a closed end that is introduced into said tube from said first end; a second tube open at a first end means in a second end of said second tube closing off said second end; means for securing the first and second tubes together so that the first end of the second tube faces the second end of the first tube with a gap therebetween; means for dRawing the sides of the object held in the first tube outwardly of said tube so that when the first and second tubes are secured together the sides of the object may be held between the first end of the second tube and the second end of the first tube to form a seal; means in said second tube for introducing into the region inside said tube means for opening the object; and a drain in the second tube.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drawing means comprises: means for defining an annular chamber surrounding the second end of the first tube; and means for applying suction to the annular chamber to draw the sides of the object held in the first tube into said chamber.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means in said second tube for introducing opening means therein comprises a transparent surface through which electromagnetic radiation may be directed.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for holding an object within said first tube comprises means for applying suction to the inside of the first tube.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for holding an object within said first tube comprises: an annular chamber surrounding the first tube and displaced from its second end; means connecting said chamber to the interior of said first tube; and means for applying suction to said annular chamber to hold the object in the first tube.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a port in said second tube.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a resilient body mounted on the first end of the second tube for engaging the outwardly drawn sides of the object.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means in said second tube for introducing opening means therein comprises means for opening said second tube and inserting a surgical instrument into it.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for securing the first and second tubes together comprises annular elements mounted on said first and second tubes and bearing complimentary screw threads permitting said elements to be screwed together, said annular elements forming an enclosed chamber about the first end of the second tube and the second end of the first tube when said threads are screwed together.
 10. Surgical apparatus comprising: a first tube open at first and second ends; means for holding within said first tube a tied and cut portion of a colon introduced into said tube from said first end; a second tube open at a first end; means in a second end of said second tube closing off said second end; means for securing the first and second tubes together so that the first end of the second tube faces the second end of the first tube with a gap therebetween; means for drawing the sides of the colon held in the first tube outwardly of said tube so that when the first and second tubes are secured together the sides of the colon may be held between the first end of the second tube and the second end of the first tube to form a seal; means in said second tube for introducing into the region inside said tube means for opening the object; and a drain in the second tube.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said drawing means comprises: means for defining an annular chamber surrounding the second end of the first tube; and means for applying suction to the annular chamber to draw the sides of the colon held in the first tube into said chamber.
 12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the means in said second tube for introducing opening means therein comprises means for opening said second tube and inserting a surgical instrument into it.
 13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said means for securing the first and second tubes together comprises annular elements mounted on said first and second tubes and bearing complimentary screw threads permitting said elements to be screwed together, said annular elements forming an enclosed chamber about the first end of the second tube and the second end of the first tube when said threads are screwed together.
 14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the means in said second tube for introducing opening means therein comprises a transparent surface through which electromagnetic radiation may be directed.
 15. Apparatus for draining an object having a closed end comprising: a first tube open at first and second ends; means for holding within said first tube said object having a closed end that is introduced into said tube from said first end; a second tube open at a first end; means in a second end of said second tube closing off said second end; means for securing the first and second tubes together so that the first end of the second tube faces the second end of the first tube with a gap therebetween in which the sides of the object may be held to form a seal; means in said second tube for introducing into the region inside said tube means for opening the object; and a drain in the second tube.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for securing the first and second tubes together comprises annular elements mounted on said first and second tubes and bearing complimentary screw threads permitting said elements to be screwed together, said annular elements forming an enclosed chamber about the first end of the second tube and the second end of the first tube when said threads are screwed together. 